May 2017
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33
News
MetroBus operator announcement delayed (again)
T
he announcement about which company (or companies) will be operating services on Bristol’s new MetroBus network has been delayed once again, this time until after the general election on 8th June, the Journal can reveal. Last summer, a West of England Partnership spokesperson said that negotiations with potential operators were expected to conclude by mid-September (2016), but it was later revealed that talks had been delayed because of the need to consider scenarios where services on a route are run by more than one operator. Then, earlier this year, it was stated that a formal announcement would not be made until after the Metro Mayor election on 4th May, for fear it might become a political issue – and the same reasoning is behind the latest delay, this time because of the general election.
A spokesperson stressed that any operator can choose to operate services on a MetroBus route, provided they sign up to a defined set of quality standards relating to vehicles, minimum frequencies, maximum fares etc. known as the Quality Partnership Scheme. There is no ‘operator selection’ decision to be made by the officers or members of any local council or authority. Once the MetroBus roadworks in Bradley Stoke are completed in June, the next sign of activity is likely to be the installation of so-called iPoints at the new MetroBus stops, currently scheduled for August. An iPoint is an information tower that is approximately 3.2 metres high and 56cm wide. These will incorporate one or two real-time information (RTI) screens, a touch screen to allow customers to buy tickets, a chip and PIN reader for payments and
Notable dates
Indicative artist’s impression of a MetroBus stop, complete with iPoint
a smartcard reader for toppingup existing smart cards. The ticket purchasing function will supply both single tickets and smartcards. ● For more information on MetroBus, visit travelwest.info/ metrobus/all-you-need-to-know
May
Work complete at Aztec West
June
Announcement of MetroBus operators
June
Work complete on Bradley Stoke Way
August
Unveiling of brand, logos, buses, iPoints etc.
August
iPoint installation begins
September
Stoke Gifford Transport Link opens
October
Stoke Lane work completes
Autumn
MetroBus services start
Information supplied by MetroBus. All dates are approximate.
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